A day out with Margaret, Susan, Judy and Shelley at sites to the north of Paphos gave us a good variety of species and a very enjoyable day out. We started at Cape Drepanum which was quiet apart from the Yellow-legged Gulls, Rock Dove and Western Jackdaw breeding on Geronissos Island offshore. In the scrub we found many Sardinian Warbler, two Northern and an Isabelline Wheatear. We moved quickly north and into the area behind Arodes. Many singing Corn Bunting were around and we stopped to watch a Woodchat Shrike. We heard the first of the areas Great Spotted Cuckoo calling and soon located it in the company of a pair of Eurasian Magpie.  As we moved on we then found two other pairs and spent almost an hour watching one pair flying around the area and ‘torturing’ another pair of Magpies. An enjoyable way to spend an hour in the spring Cyprus sunshine. We also found a Masked Shrike, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Common Nightingale, a Blue Rock Thrush, some Tree Pipit, Lesser Whitethroat and Eurasian Blackcap, several singing Cyprus Wheatear and Sardinian Warbler.

After our picnic lunch outside Droushia we headed for Smygies and the surrounding area. We stopped to watch some large birds of prey gaining height. We counted sixteen but they were too distant to be really sure of their ID. They were definitely Buzzards but given the number could have been ‘Steppe’ Buzzard . In the end we put them down as Buzzard spp. Three Long-legged Buzzard were easier to ID. We spent some time trying to locate the source of an unusual contact call and were pleased when we realized it came from an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler. Unfortunately only I managed to spot a Cretzschmar’s Bunting before it flew from its pine tree vantage point. We also had European Serin, Willow Warbler, Common Chiffchaff and more Lesser Whitethroat and another Blue Rock Thrush for the day.

We ended the day at Evretou Day. A large flock of at least fifty Spanish Sparrow were feeding on the track as we got down to the water. At the water’s edge we found three Little Ringed Plover, a Common and a Green Sandpiper and a Little Egret. Sand Martin and Red-rumped Swallow were coming down to feed off insects on the water. In the nearby grassy vegetation we found several White and Yellow Wagtail. The latter were mainly male Black-headed but we found at least two Blue-headed. A Tawny Pipit and at least twelve Greater Short-toed Lark were also feeding there. A Little Owl and several Black Francolin were calling as we left to head back to the ladies’ holiday accommodation but we were unable to see them.

Total species seen 60

Little Egret, Common Buzzard, Buzzard spp (poss Steppe), Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Chukar, Black Francolin, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Yellow-legged Gull, Rock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Eurasian Scops Owl (h), Little Owl, Common Swift, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Blue-headed Wagtail (flava), Black-headed Wagtail (feldegg), White Wagtail, Common Nightingale, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Cetti’s Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Masked Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Corn Bunting